Dry Eye

Why do my Eyes feel so dry?

Redness! Burning! Irritation! These words are enough to make your eyes water but you can't. The reason is dry eyes. This is a common ocular problem in the Southwest because of the low humidity which produces an extra demand on our tear glands to keep the eyes lubricated. Other symptoms of dry eyes are a sensation that something is in the eye or even severe pain. These symptoms tend to be worse in dry cool weather and worse during a windy day. Dry eyes can also be aggravated by pollution and underlying allergies. The eye discomfort is worse when reading and worse toward the end of the day. There are 5 common causes of Dry Eyes:

1. Decrease in blinking. Blinking helps to spread tears across the surface of the eye and lubricate the surface. Any decrease in blinking will cause symptoms of dry eyes.
2. Aging. Tear production decreases with aging. The volume of tear production can be 60% less at age 65 than at age 18.
3. Environment. High altitudes; sunny, dry windy conditions; and the use of heaters, blowers and air conditioning increase tear evaporation and cause symptoms of dry eyes.
4. Contact lenses can dramatically increase tear evaporation. Dry eyes are the leading cause of contact lens discomfort.
5. Some medications decrease the body's ability to produce lubricating tears. These include decongestants, antihistamines, diuretics and many other allopathic medications.

Alternative medicine can help!

Deficiency of Vitamin A has been shown to contribute to dry eyes. The first line of treatment should be a healthy diet with fresh dark green leafy vegetables or supplemental vitamin A. I would recommend 10,000 Units of Vitamin A once a day. Vitamin A can be toxic to the liver so be sure to consult with your health care practitioner.

Ps smooth muscles and produces vasodilatation of blood vessels. It has been reported is several studies to lower the intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma. Forskohliin was an experiment eye drop found to reduce eye pressure. It was abandoned because the eye drops produced a milky covering over the eye. This side affect is eliminated by taking the Herb orally.

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